Paul Follows appears on BBC Surrey to talk about Waverley taking the Government to appeal over the fracking decision at Dunsfold.
We learn that both Waverley and Protect Dunsfold will be taking action and the crowdfunding has begun.
Whatever happened to Protect Our Waverley? But, let’s face it ‘Little Britton’ & ‘Captain Bob Lies’ who led the protest group called POW chose a very inappropriate title with just one agenda…
To Stop the development of Dunsfold airfield – the largest brownfield site in the borough – aided and abetted by MP’s Jeremy Hunt and Anne Milton.
This gang of four are wholly responsible for the lack of a five-year housing land supply in the borough of Waverley. Also, quite possibly the failure of Waverley’s Local PlanPart 2 having cocked up Local Plan Part 1 for years.
As the Waverley Web predicted – and it gives us no satisfaction to be proved correct – their so-called protection of Waverley has resulted in thousands of homes being developed on greenfield sites across the borough. Mainly in the unprotected eastern villages! Cllr Chris Britton was recently proposed by Penny Maine, the intellectually challenged chairman of Alfold Parish Council, to be her vice-chairman!
Now those villages of Cranleigh, Alfold, Dunsfold and Hascombe face yet another threat – gas drilling, which if wannabe Prime Minister Liz Truss succeeds in her ambition – will back fracking for fossil fuels country-wide.
‘ Your Waverley’ set to challenge the Government over gas drilling in Dunsfold.
1/3 Interview this morning with @BBCSurrey regarding the decision of @WaverleyBC to seek a Judicial Review of the government decision to allow fossil fuel ‘exploration’ just outside #Dunsfold pic.twitter.com/LvgmmhtL6c
— Cllr. Paul David Follows 🔶💙🇺🇦 (@PaulDFollows) July 21, 2022
Paul refers to the power of non-Local Authority groups to crowdfund, so we were delighted to see that Protect Dunsfold ( nothing to do with the previous dubious outfit) is backing the David & Goliath challenge.
Over £16,000 has already been donated towards the £30,000 target. Well done Waverley residents. Want to join the fight? You can donate by clicking on the link below.
Protect Dunsfold say:
“Our challenge centres on a decision by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, under the leadership of Michael Gove, to overturn Surrey County Council’s initial refusal of planning permission. This is despite admitting it would cause “a significant level of landscape and visual impact.”
We believe there are a number of weaknesses in this decision. The Government did not properly consider the climate impact of unmitigated emissions from natural gas exploration and did not give sufficient weight to the need to conserve an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. “
It’s impressive indeed to see the effort being made and I wish all parties good fortune. However. I will offer an alternative view.. Not to the honest well meant effort. That is to be wholly heartedly applauded.
Based on my asking the potential new owners of Dunsfold what there plans were, they made it clear housing development was not part of their plans. Thus an industrial commercial future is the idea. In no respect are the potential owners part of the plans to frack. But it would make good sense for those that are to apply for use of space. If only for stores and offices.
I suspect that the moment the campaign to stop fracking gets fully underway, the Media will slowly but effectively tear into the campaign along the lines of hypocrisy. The rich Southerners in their countryside standing in the way of the nations fuel security, with challenging attacks on individuals. It will be messy unpleasant and cruel. But most of all unrelenting.
You must consider first why Dunsfold was the only site that was to be allowed.
Precisely because the Govt knew what the opposition would be. Dunsfold had successfully weakened the Borough council destroyed the planning system and highlighted an MP no longer fit for purpose. Furious local voters seeing houses built all over their hallowed ground. Exactly the scenario. Privileged Inept NIMBYs vs Leveling Up. Not willing to see the country thrive for their own selfish ends.
If you wanted a pantomime villain Waverley and it’s residents will be served up as one.
Hence my heartfelt admiration for effort but my reading of the bigger picture suggesting that it’s perhaps more advisable to go for “what do we get out of this?” than a thick ear and nothing.
It’s wicked wrong environmentally unsustainable, but who voted for the politicians at all levels locally that got you into this mess?
Governments have access to masses of useful data and that includes geology. If the geology clearly identifies a fuel source close to a capital city it will, in time, exploit it. If you can
Process and export from site to consumer over the shortest route nothing and nobody will stand in your way.
This regime has put in place the tools to do what it likes.
Good Luck.
Indeed if you voted Conservative then this is what you deserve?
Clifford. I am curious how Columbia/Threadneedle disclosed their intentions to you about development at DP. Were they specific about what their plans were? Did you not ask why it is now 7 months since they were supposed to have done the deal? Are they renegotiating the price!? What is the delay?